Composite figure toy.



W. S. LEVIS.

COMPOSITE FIGURE TOY.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23, I918.

1,272,685. Patented July 16, 1918.

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COMPOSITE FIGURE TOY. APPLICATION FILED MAR-23,1918.

1,272,685. Patented July 16, 1918.

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WILLIS SYLVE-STER LEVIS, OF YO'NKERS, NEW YORK.

COMPOSITE FIGURE TOY.

masses.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat T, WILLIS S. LnvIs, a'

' citizen of the United States; residing in Yonkers, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Composite Figure Toys, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of my invention is to produce a composite figure toy made up of separate units, so constructed and arranged that they may be placed together in difierent relations in order to simulate living figures of different sizes and proportions. More particularly stated, I make use of a number of separate units of .difierent shapes,

the several units of each shape being of suitable form to be temporarily connected together end to end in order to build up various anatomical members such as arms, legs,

face, neck and body trunk. I

I further seek to give the various units such form that by usmg a largeor a small number ofthem I can render the'composite figure as a whole relatively large or small, and can also vary the grotesquenessof' the figures thus formed by changing some of their proportions while leaving others of their proportions unchanged.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like letters indicate like parts in-all of the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective of my composite figure toy complete, the units being here laced together so as to simulate a man who 1s tall and slim.

Fig. 2 is a perspective ofa composite 'figure representing a shorter man than the one shown in Fig/1, and made up of a smaller number of units selected for the purpose.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective, showing a headand face built up-with a smaller; number of units than are employed for the purpose in Figs. 1 and 2. j Fig. 4. is a perspective of one of the units used for building up the headand face of the composite figure.-

Fig. 5 is a perspective of-j'the unit used for the shoulders and the upper portion of the body trunk. I

Fig. 6 is a perspective of two units adapted to be connected as a part of an arm.

Fig. 7 shows in section two units differing sli htlv from each other and used together Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 16, 15913.

Application filed March 23, 1918. Serial No. 224,141. i

to form a part of the hat of the composite figure- Fig. 8 is a front elevation of a unit used Fig. 10 is a sectionalview showing unitsof'the kind appearing in Fig. 9, and indicatmg the manner in which they are connected to form one of the legs.

Fig. 11 is a perspective of one ofthe units used in building the body trunk.

I will first describemore particularly Fig.

1, as this-shows a maximum number of the units. n

A floor appears at 12, and resting loosely upon 1t 1s a base-board 13, serving the purpose of a pedestal. Secured firmly upon the base-board are two blocks 14, fashioned to roughly represent human feet.

Extending upwardly from these feet are a number of units 15, collectively forming the legs of the figure.

Restin upon the legs,'andextending upwardly t erefrom, are a number of body sections 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, differing slightly in form and collectively constituting the body trunk. There are one each of the units 16, 17, 18 and 20, but several units 19 may be employed. The unit 20 is a little wider than the other sections just mentioned, and supplies the shoulders.

' Two unitsv 21, 22 are used to form the neck, and a number of units 23, 24:, 25, 26, 27 28 and 29 together form the head and face.-

- A single unit 30, having the general form. I

of a disk, represents a hat brim, and a number of units 31 are connected together toform a hat crown.- A single unit 32 having substantially a hemispherical form is the 'topmember of the hat crown.

Fig. 2 difi'ers from Flg. 1 merely in the omission of a number of the units, and a consequent shortening of the composite figureas .a whole. Since, however, the reduction.

in the height of Fig. 2- as compared with Fig. 1 is not accompanied by any. change in the sizes of the units or in the relative proportions of any unit, it follows that the proportions of the composite figure shown in Fig. 2 must be difierent from those of the figure illustrated in Fig. 1. Thus the grotesqueness of the completed structure is enhanced.

composite figure, is an angle block so It will be noted that in Fig. 1 a unit 29, representing; apart of the forehead of the roportioned that the hat of the figure inclines sidewise. In Fig. 3 a block 33 of slightly difierent form is used for causing the hat of the figure to lean backward.

A number of units 34 are connected to-' gether to'form the arms of the composite figure. 1f the arms are-to be lengthy, as

shown in Fig. 1, or short as shown in Fig. 2,

the number of units 34 is varied accordingly.

Two small disk-like units 35 represent the wrists, and two suitably shaped blocks 36 are used to simulate the hands, of the composite figure. In order to connect. varlous kinds of units 'together,'I use a number of separate connecting pins 37, which fit into holes 38, the

latter extending axially through theunits, as indicated -more particularly in 9 and '10. Each connecting pin is-roughened, if so desired, in order to lmprove its anchorage. I In the units 31 and 32, serving as'hat members, I use shorter connecting ins, one of which is shown at 39 in Fig. 7

n his pin fits into holes 40, 41, as may beunderstood from Fig. 7

Each unit 34, used for the arms, carries a metallic plate 42, provided with a hole 43. The plate 42' is held in a slot, by a pin 44 extending diametrically through the unit.-

Each unit 34 is also provided with a'slot 45, for receiving the protruding portion of the plate42 of the next successive unit below it, as may be understood from Fig.- 6L Each unit 34 also carries a pin 46, so arranged that it-may be thrust through the hole 43 of the plate 42 carried by the nextsuccessive' unit of the same kind.

In order to disconnect any unit 34 from the next successive unit of the same kind, all that is necessary is to pull out one of the pins 46- as indicated in Fig. 6.

The -'unit 26 carries an extending portion 7 41, shaped as a nose.

The various units are colored or decorated as shown, in order to'adapt them to simulate the various anatomical thrusting into each slot 47 the extending portion of the plate .42 carried by such unit 34, the hole 43 may be brought into registry with the hole 48. Thls done, the parts are ofthe arms of the composite figure are hung from the unit 20.

To assemble the parts of the composite figure, the various units of difierent kinds are picked out and grouped collectively, so as to form the legs, arms, body trunk, neck, hat, etc., the various parts thus grouped being arranged together to form the composite figure. v

I do not limit myself to the precise mechanism here shown, as variations may be made therefrom without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is commensurate with my claims.

I claim 1. A composite figure toy, made up of separate units detachably connected together and arranged in distinct groups corresponding to anatomical members, the number of units in each group belng variable at the will of the operator for the purpose of changing the lengths of the respective anatomical units. o

2. Ina composite figure toy, the combination of a number of separate units and means for connecting them together to form a member having a length equal to the aggregate length of the several units, the num-' ber of such units employed being variable at the will of the operator in order to vary the length of said member, said units being so shaped and having such appearance as vto simulate, when connected together,.a

held in position by thrusting-oneof the pins '46 through each hole 48, and consequently through each hole' 43. Thus the upper units definite portion of a living figure.

- 3. The combination of a number of sep'a rate units having a plurality -of diflerent forms, the units of each form being provided with means whereby they may be detachably connected to each other to build up anelongated member having any de- I sired length dependent upon the number of 'units of which it is thus built up, the several units of each form having. such appearance that the elongated member built up of units of one form simulates one distinct portion of a living figure and the elongated member built up of units of another form simulates another distinct portion of said living figure. Y

4. In a composite figure toy the combination of a number of separate units having a plurality of distinct forms, the units of each form being provided with means whereby they may be detachably connected that the elongated members respectlvely simulate distinct parts of a living figure.

. 5. In a composite figure toy the combina- I tion of a number of separate units having a plurality of distinct forms, the units of each form being provided with means whereby they may be connected to each other in order to build up an elongated member, the length of which is controllable by choosing the aggregate number, of units of which it is composed, the units composing each elongated member having such size and appearance that one elongated member simulates one portion of a living figure, and another elongated member simulates a different portion of said living figure.

6. In a device of the character described a member simulating a living face of grotesque appearance and comprising units detachably fitting together one over the other and having such appearance that the operator, by discretionary selection of the number and kind of. such units, can at will vary the length of the face independently of the width thereof.

7 In a composite figure toy, a figure provided with a portion simulating aliving face of grotesque appearance, said portion comprising units fitting together in diflerent relations and having such appearance that the operator, by discretionary selection of the number and kindof such units, can at will vary the length of the face.

8. A composite figure toy,comprising a figure provided With a member simulating a body trunk, said member being built up of separate units having such appearance that the length of said body portion may be varied at the will of the operator by choosing the number of units of which it is thus built up.

9. A composite figure toy provided with an articulate member simulating a limb and made up of separate units connected together, the units having such form and appearance that the length of said limb can be controlled at will by selectionof the number of units of WlllCh'it is built up.

10. A composite figure toy provided with an articulate member simulating an arm and made up of separate units detachably connected together, said units having such form and appearance that the length of the arm can be varied at the will of the operator, by appropriate selection of the number of units of which it is composed.

11. In a device of the character described a member simulating a hat and built up of distinct units detachably fitting together one over another and having such appearance that the operator, by discretionary selection of the number of such units, can give the hat any desired height dependent upon the number of units employed.

12.'-A device of the character described, comprising an inanimate figure representing a living figure and provided with distinct members simulating different anatomical portions thereof, said distinct members each being built up ofseparate units detachably connected together, the several units of each member being so related in size and appearance that by varying the number of units in each member the respective lengths of the several members may be varied at will so as to vary the general size of the inanimate figure.

WILLIS SYLVESTER LEVIS. 

